


songday

by theninthmember



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alcohol, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Discussion of Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No one dies in the fic but they talk about people who died, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 14:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12913623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theninthmember/pseuds/theninthmember
Summary: Taako celebrates an anniversary. Kravitz wishes there was something he could do to make things okay.





	songday

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this art](https://jammyscribbler.tumblr.com/post/166961885944/those-elf-lifespans-though) by [jammyscribbler](https://jammyscribbler.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!
> 
> I imagine this is roughly four hundred years after the finale? Don’t think too hard about the timeline.
> 
> Rated Teen for the subject matter.
> 
> Written late last night and self beta’d so let me know if there are any typos!

When you’ve been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, dates start to get a little mixed up in your head. So when Kravitz opens a portal home after work one night to find the house empty, it takes him a moment to piece together why.

Taako isn’t on a work trip, that’s not for another month. And it’s not a visit to the McDonald’s because he only does those on Tuesdays and Kravitz is almost certain it’s either Thursday or Friday. Or... Saturday? Anyway, it’s not a Tuesday. But it _is_ , and he remembers this with a jolt, the _solstice_. Which means...

The anniversary.

His jaw clenches. He tries to remember if Taako had mentioned it in the past couple weeks, but... no, no, he definitely hadn’t. Which means he didn’t want Kravitz to remember. Which means he’s at Hal’s. Kravitz checks his watch. It’s nearly ten, so at this point it’s probably not only okay to get him, it’s most likely better that he does. Kravitz sighs as he closes the front door behind him and makes his way into town.

Hal's Tavern is crowded, people drinking and cheering and singing together merrily. They call today Songday now, the name having grown shorter over the years as the holiday became more of an excuse to get off work and go to a pub than a celebration of defeating the apocalypse. Kravitz looks around, scanning the room for his husband.

“He’s in the back room,” a voice from behind the bar says. It’s not Hal, his name is... what was it? Oh, right—

“Pierre, so good to see you.”

Hal’s great (great, great, and on and on) grandson sets the glass he was polishing down on the bar. “It’s a pleasure seeing you too, Kravitz.” A pause. “I reckon he’s about ready for you.”

Kravitz gives a strained smile.

“I hope he wasn’t any trouble,” he says.

“Of course not,” Pierre says, a sympathetic look on his face. “I know the legends. What he did for us all those years ago. And he’s quiet most years. Pops used to tell stories about the rowdy three, but...”

_But there’s only one now._

“Back room, did you say?”

“Yep, the usual table.” Kravitz nods and heads for the doorway leading to the back of the tavern. After a quick survey of the room, his eyes land upon Taako, and his heart breaks a little.

He’s sitting alone at the back table, a bottle of hard alcohol in front of him and an assortment of empty cups and shot glasses arranged haphazardly. His head is resting in his hands, and his hat is pulled low, casting a shadow over his face. He’s not moving. His ears are tilting dangerously low, like wilting flower petals.

Kravitz is at his side in an instant.

“Hey, love,” he says gently.

Taako murmurs a greeting, but doesn’t look at him.

“You ready to head home?” Kravitz asks quietly. Taako meets his eyes, and blinks, like he’s just noticing he’s there.

“I... not yet, darling, just a... just a few more minutes.” Kravitz nods. He thinks about sitting beside him, but a glance at the table tells him that’d be the wrong move.

It’s old, carved by Magnus Burnsides himself, if memory serves correctly. Taako has arranged the chairs like they used to, three spaced equally around it. Magnus would be on Taako’s left. Merle on his right.

“I should stop coming here every year,” Taako says with a small smile. “It hella bums me out.”

“You’re always welcome at the McDonald’s,” Kravitz says after a beat. “Or Ren’s, she’s been talking about spending Songday with you for a while.”

“Yeah, I know,” but the tone of his voice says that in one year, he’ll be sitting in this exact same seat.

There’s a long pause.

“They’re all doing well,” Kravitz says, trying to offer comfort, any comfort. “They miss you.” Taako laughs.

“Well tell ‘em they can keep on missing me, ‘cause I’m—“ His voice cracks, and he makes a furious swipe at his eyes. “I’m not dying for a while.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell them,” Kravitz says softly.

Taako nods slowly, and there’s a long stretch of silence before he speaks again.

“I think I’m ready to leave now, homie, if that’s fine by you.” Kravitz offers him an arm, but as Taako stands his legs give out, and he stumbles into him.

When Kravitz scoops Taako up bridal style, he doesn’t even complain, just buries his face in Kravitz’s chest with a shaky breath, hands gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. The black silk of the dress he’s wearing is soft under Kravitz’s cold fingertips.

Kravitz stops at the bar again on his way out.

“Are you sure you don’t want me too—“

“Nope, free tonight, as always. Every year, no exceptions,” Pierre says matter of factly. “He’s had some water too. Hangover shouldn’t be too bad. Have a nice night, you guys.” Kravitz smiles.

When they get home, Kravitz asks if Taako wants to take a bath, or have anything to eat.

“Nah,” he mumbles into Kravitz’s shirt. “I’m tired.” With a nod, Kravitz carries him up the stairs to their bedroom, setting him gently on edge of the bed. Kravitz unhooks his husband’s cloak from around his neck, and hangs it in the closet. The hat is next, he lifts it from Taako’s head and sets it on the dresser with care. He unzips the back of the dress.

“Woah there, tiger. Not in the mood tonight,” Taako says with a smile. Kravitz snorts as Taako slips out of the silky fabric. Kravitz takes it and puts it in the laundry basket at the end of the hall. When he returns, Taako is fumbling with his braid. Kravitz helps him, untying the ribbon and beginning to unravel the messy plait. Taako holds a lock in his hands.

“I couldn’t grow my hair out on the Starblaster,” he says weakly. Kravitz has heard this many times before, but he doesn’t say anything. “It was short when we left, so even if I tried it just reverted back at the end of the year.” He stares at the hair in between his fingers. “It’s too long now.”

Kravitz responds by running his hands through it. Taako hasn’t cut his hair in at least a century. Probably more than that. Probably at least three. There are soft streaks of grey mixing with the blond now, not many, but there all the same. Taako leans into his touch.

“How about a vacation soon?” Kravits suggests as he draws the hair back from Taako’s face. “To my side of town. You could visit everyone.”

Taako hiccups.

“Sounds nice,” he says simply. When his hair is all smoothed out, Kravitz stands up.

“Do you want any more water?” he asks. Taako shakes his head and lays back slowly so his head is on the pillows. Kravitz turns out the light and climbs into bed beside him.

Taako’s turned away from him, curled up on his side, but Kravitz can tell when the tears start because the whole bed begins to shake slightly. He reaches out a hand, and as soon as it brushes his husband’s shoulder Taako turns over so he’s resting against Kravitz’s chest.

Taako sobs. He wails. His breathing is uneven and his tears are hot against Kravitz’s skin. There’s nothing Kravitz can do but hold him and rub gentle circles on his back as he cries himself out. And he does eventually, he always does, the sobs becoming a hushed sniffling, becoming soft breaths as he falls asleep in Kravitz’s arms.

Tomorrow, Kravitz knows, he’ll wake up alone, and Taako will be coming in from a shower, and he’ll act like none of this had ever happened. Tomorrow, Kravitz will mention again the idea of visiting the Astral Plane. And tomorrow Taako will pretend to think about it for at least a day before agreeing. Tomorrow Lup and her husband will drop in and Taako will cook with his sister while Kravitz and Barry make light conversation in the sitting room. Tomorrow they’ll all eat together, and Taako will know that he’s not alone.

But tonight, Taako is curled up against him, and he’s beginning to snore. Tonight it’s dark, and the skin around Taako’s eyes is red and puffy, irritated by tears that he only lets himself cry when the lights are off and the world is asleep. Tonight Taako isn’t alone, but it’s easy for him to forget that nearly a hundred years after Merle’s death. Three hundred and sixteen years after Angus’s. Three hundred and fifty three years after he lost Magnus. So tonight, Kravitz holds him close while he sleeps.

Tonight, Kravitz doesn’t let him go.

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to all 70+ hours of this podcast in under a month and I regret nothing.
> 
> Taako and Kravitz have been living in this town for... a while, so they knew the original bar owner, Hal. Don’t ask where Lup and Barry were I have no clue lmao.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! I’m on [tumblr.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/theninthmember)


End file.
